it broke great britain's sxrul set the stage for what would eventually become our 50-statemation. and speaking of that declaration, of the 56 signatures, the guy who wrote the bulk of it, thomas jefferson. he lived here on his sprawling 5 thousand-acre property called monticello. what was once his home is today a year-round museum. >> after jefferson retires he is popular. >> reporter: andy marshall is a tour guide here. he first visited the property when he was 7. clearly something stuck. >> starts off. >> reporter: to say he is a fan of our nation's third president would be an understatement. have you memorized the declaration of independence? >> during the course of hume aenchs it becomes necessary for one political body. kidding. >> reporter: i think he called my bluff. one day a year monticello is more than a museum. on july 4th it becomes a symbol of american citizenship. when it serves as the backdrop to the most prideful swearing in ceremony in the country. how symbolic is it to be naturalized here in monticello at thomas jefferson's home? think of it this way. it is the d